Five vying for three open seats in Barker school board election
May 16—BARKER — Five residents are competing for three open seats on the Barker Central School District Board of Education.
The winners of Tuesday's election will each receive three-year terms of office.
These are the candidates:
Randy Atwater
Atwater, 64, is currently the board president and is one of three incumbent trustees running for re-election.
Currently retired, he has served on the Barker School Board for over 30 years.
His primary concern as a board member is to provide financial "sustainability" as New York state cessation funding the district received from the closing of Kintigh Generating Station in 2020 winds down.
"We have been working on replacing that revenue... We have a very detailed long-term model of finances for the next six to seven years to inch towards sustainability when the temporary funding eases off," Atwater said.
If re-elected, he said he would also focus on working to update and coordinate the district curriculum.
Candice Gancasz
Gancasz, 55, is seeking re-election after having served three terms on the board.
She is a sales manager for VanDeMark Chemical in Lockport.
She and her three children all graduated from Barker Jr.-Sr. High School and has grandchildren who go to school in the district.
Gancasz said she has decided to run for a fourth term on the board to continue what she described as an "enjoyable experience" during her tenure.
"I truly enjoy being on the board, the people and the processes. I like to be able to be a part of the school and community. I always wanted to volunteer somewhere and this has fit quite well," she said.
If re-elected, she said one of her top priorities would be to "see through" the completion of the district's ongoing capital projects.
Jessica Rohring
Rohring, 36, is a music teacher and elementary-aged children who attend school in the district.
She sees running for a seat on the board as a way to be an "advocate" for students in the district.
"Having younger kids in the district, I really want to be a parental advocate," Rohring said.
If elected, Rohring said she would like to focus on the district's curriculum and would like to see the district host more career fair-type events in an effort to prepare students once they graduate from high school.
Virginia Voss
Voss, 53, is seeking re-election after having served three terms on the board. She is an operations manager at Tops in Lockport.
Voss said she has decided to run for a fourth term to continue to work with district personnel to "provide students with a good education."
"My commitment to the kids has not changed even though I don't have students in the building anymore," she said.
If re-elected, Voss said her main focus as a board member would be fiscal responsibility in the district.
Stephanie Williams
Williams, 34, is the secretary/treasurer of Williams Plumbing and has three elementary-aged children in the district.
She said she decided to run for a seat on the board to work toward a better future for students in the district.
If elected, Williams said she wants to focus on student support and encourage parental input on district policies, particularly with special education services. She would also like to see the district put an emphasis on skilled trade programs.
"My skills and knowledge of special education in the district would fit well on the board," Williams said.
